Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

Not to sure why it is thought that a scope is barely as good as 2.5 digit DMM, a Fluke 27 is +/-.1% +1 digit, thats a whole 2.99% better than a scope surely?

Typical scope 8 bits resolution = 0-255 = 2 1/2 digits.

Fluke 25/27 3 1/2 digits  = 0-3200 = 11.64 bits resolution

12 1/2 times more resolution than a scope.

[mnementh]

Thanks for the input, but here's the thing, I genuinely don't know the advantages and disadvantages as I'm neither into programming or involved with any form of IT. So what I did was to use Google so no movies or anything else was involved, and I deliberately avoided sites such as internet providers who have a vested interest in promoting whatever their system is. For instance Avast says suggested similar to what I posted https://www.avast.com/c-static-vs-dynamic-ip-addresses and as such, they have no personal axe to grind so to speak. 

Avast have a vast interest (no, I will not apologise) in fostering paranoia so that they can shift more product. Which is a crap one btw, being such a huge pile of bloatware you may as well have viruses replicating in your HDD using up all the free space.   

There was a time when it was a much more honest product, prior to the paid version appearing.
Using it after having lived with the horribly intrusive Norton was a dream.

Why do all good things turn to crap when the "profit motive" overrides less rapacious feelings?

Dear old Asus shipped this thing with McAfee----Aaargh!
There was the option to turn it off, so when I changed from Window 10"S" (for "stupid'), I did so, & am relying on "Windows Defender", which doesn't seem all that bad!

Yeah, I remember feeling the same way aboot Norton Utilities... the number of hard drives I resurrected widdat little bundle, and everything I learned aboot filesystem structure using them. *sigh*

Why...? because that is the corporation's raison d'être... and it will not stop until we stop praying at their altar as if they were the one true God. 

mnem
All good things must pass.

[Specmaster]

Not to sure why it is thought that a scope is barely as good as 2.5 digit DMM, a Fluke 27 is +/-.1% +1 digit, thats a whole 2.99% better than a scope surely?

Typical scope 8 bits resolution = 0-255 = 2 1/2 digits.

Fluke 25/27 3 1/2 digits  = 0-3200 = 11.64 bits resolution

12 1/2 times more resolution than a scope.

The 3% surely refers to analogue scopes, not digital ones. At least all the analogue scope specifications I have come across all mention 3% for voltage accuracy. Also most cheap DMM's in the £20 to £30 range all boast specs far greater than 3%, typically being 0.5%+2 (DC) and 0.8% +5(AC)

[Cerebus]

Not to sure why it is thought that a scope is barely as good as 2.5 digit DMM, a Fluke 27 is +/-.1% +1 digit, thats a whole 2.99% better than a scope surely?

Typical scope 8 bits resolution = 0-255 = 2 1/2 digits.

Fluke 25/27 3 1/2 digits  = 0-3200 = 11.64 bits resolution

12 1/2 times more resolution than a scope.

The 3% surely refers to analogue scopes, not digital ones. At least all the analogue scope specifications I have come across all mention 3% for voltage accuracy. Also most cheap DMM's in the £20 to £30 range all boast specs far greater than 3%, typically being 0.5%+2 (DC) and 0.8% +5(AC)

All the following are DSOs -

Rigol MSO5000: 3%
HP 54621A/21D, 54622A/22D: 2%
HP 54100A/D: 3%
HP 54201A, HP54201D: 2%
Tek TDS 200 series: 3%
Tek TDS 310, TDS 320 & TDS 350: 2%

All figures taken straight from the manufacturers manuals.

[vk6zgo]

To the UK people, if you are in need of fuel for your car, I suggest that you get it sooner rather than later. I have just got back from a late night shopping run because its quieter then, and every bleeding garage I drove by has long queues for fuel and a few in the City of already run out and closed. Tesco in Chelmsford, run out at 1pm and as their filling station is in the store car park near to the exit, they are queueing from the car park entrance only to discover when they reach the pumps that they have no fuel whatsoever left. I have some dashcam footage that I might stick on YT if anyone wants to see it

Now I didn't even know that fucktards were panic buying fuel 

Shooting out to join them 

Edit: got in the car. Tank already full. Winner 

Filled mine yesterday, only because the trip computer was warning me that I only had enough fuel for 20 more miles and that was when my average MPG was reading 54.3mpg. It took 50.5 litres and the tank holds 52 litres, £70.13 that cost. It wasen't all that long ago that would have only cost about £60 

My God, you're getting screwed!
Your £70.13 equates to $A132.12.


50.5 litres of Premium Unleaded costs, at Perth's "average metro price" today costs $A83.58.(£44.36)!
And we whinge & moan!

But, I guess TE is cheaper in "the Old Dart!"

[GreyWoolfe]

You can get little LED lights that clip onto a book and only illuminate the page you're reading.

Tried several, all crap, still wake the missus up. Also the publisher's push to print paperbacks in 'trade paperback' size with elevated prices to match rather than proper pocketable paperback size makes reading them in bed a pain - they're two handed rather than one handed books.

Anyway, I'm more than happy to use a tablet in bed, much better than fiddling with a reading light or led book light. I was just elucidating why I use one for the luddite.

One of the best things I ever did was actually dump all my reading books at the local charity shop. You only read them once, they take up a lot of space, are totally impractical at the best of times, are heavy and don't work in poor light. Plus they are expensive, have huge logistic and environmental costs.

Bought the ass end kindle on a sale day for 39 quid. Books are £1 to £4 a go. You can share them with your family and quite frankly I don't give a shit if you can't keep them. The thing is so much more convenient. It costs me more to get the bus or drive to the nearest bookshop to get one.

People complain about DRM and tablets and lock in and that but at the end of the day I've actually read a stack of books in the last couple of years. Looking at the history, 35 of them on that device.

Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Which I will be slinging in my bag for the train tomorrow. And when that's done I have a couple of Pratchetts lined up. Electrons don't weigh much

Technical and reference books is another thing though. Those cannot be replaced. Yet. So I have a stack of those.

There are currently 145 books as epub on my tablet and 250 as pdfs. I have read them all but for half a dozen or so that are in the queue. There are about 200 fiction books on the living room shelves on 'my' side all of which have been read at least once, some three times or more. (I'll reread an old favourite from time to time the same way that I'll rewatch Micheal Rennie in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" or Anne Frances in l"Forbidden Planet" or even "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".) There are another 100 on 'her' side of the bookshelves that I've read out of the 200 odd over there (including my collected Ray Bradbury, that's a hot book). A few hundred have been given away over the years. Add in library books and the ones packed away in boxes and I'd venture a guess at 2000 fiction books read in 50 odd years in total. So a rough run rate of 40 paper books/year.

The ones on the tablet probably represent 5 years reading. Which means that my reading rate has gone up since I started reading fiction on the tablet. A few books on the tablet are re-reads, but not many. So we're into 395 books in 5 years - my run rate has probably doubled after shifting to ebook form.

Moreover I've got a stack of books sitting on the computer representing classics or modern classics I've read over the years waiting to go onto the tablet for re-reading. Things like 1984, the Cherry Orchard, Mr Pye, a bunch more Chekov and so on.

The tablet weighs whatever a Nexus 9 weighs. I don't know what those 395 books would weigh, but I can tell you I wouldn't like them stacked on my pillow next to my head.

It is a rare day  Mrs. GreyWoolfe goes to bed before me as I am up earlier in the morning.  Once she is asleep, I could get away with almost anything but touching off my shotgun and she will sleep through it.  Years ago, she convinced me to give up my book collection for an e-reader.  We discovered that I donated about 800 books.  All of my books were read so many times over the years, most were dog eared.  They were like hanging out with old friends.  Still have all the books from my time at ITT Technical Institute.  Did the e-reader for years, never quite cut it for me.  Now that we are empty nesters, I have started rebuilding a book collection.  For me, there is a visceral joy in physically handling a book.  I enjoy the feel and the smell of books.  When I do read at night, I am happy it doesn't disturb her.

[mnementh]

My dad and my son and I have discovered a shared passion... old-school pulp comic books. Mostly from the era that had the Schwarzenegger body-building ads in the back... 

We all enjoy the whole thing... the horrible litho printing, the feel and smell of slightly musty cellulose... Stan Lee's editorials... it's just like when I was a kid and I'd save my dessert money from school to blow at the corner drug store on comic books and a few bits of penny candy with whatever wouldn't buy another comic book.

Nothing in the world was better than sitting on the bench outside with a buddy or two and a handful of Marvel and DC and a freshly opened packet of Bottle Caps or Lik-M-aid. Or even Smarties, if that's all you had left over. 

*mnemories*

[mansaxel]

As I indicated earlier, I had the intention of getting back with some media on the Fluke 27. There was one "defloration" event that had to be caught as moving pictures, so here goes:  (yes, my camera can't focus at all. I'm looking at alternatives)

https://youtu.be/NBEmHOWYItA

Also, Fluke sez BAM, as usual:

[med6753]

Gee, where's the rest of the EU (And UK) this fine Saturday morning? Decided to sleep in? Perhaps all tuckered out from yesterday's off-topic-fest. But I am looking forward to lots of TEA content today. 

As always I will contribute meaningful content.

My 547 coffee cup is still in that black hole.


Yes, I am a grouchy SOB but this thread is getting too polluted with crap. Save it for Discord. 

 

[mansaxel]

Some more 27 porn:

[med6753]

What's the kV limit on those 2 probes?

[Robert763]

To the UK people, if you are in need of fuel for your car, I suggest that you get it sooner rather than later. I have just got back from a late night shopping run because its quieter then, and every bleeding garage I drove by has long queues for fuel and a few in the City of already run out and closed. Tesco in Chelmsford, run out at 1pm and as their filling station is in the store car park near to the exit, they are queueing from the car park entrance only to discover when they reach the pumps that they have no fuel whatsoever left. I have some dashcam footage that I might stick on YT if anyone wants to see it

I suppose I'd better plug the PHEV in then 

[mansaxel]

40 and 6 KV AC peak or DC, respectively, for the dividers. The RF probe is limited to 30VAC.

Model numbers are:

• Big one: 80K-40
• Small one: 80K-6
• RF one: 85RF

There are prices for the HV ones, so it seems they're current. The RF probe I'm more uncertain whether it's being sold. Nevertheless, the whining over the shipping cost fades pretty quickly when I see what they charge for such.

Edit: did some more searching, and found the 85RF online, for the handy sum of US $269.  (I paid perhaps US $210 including shipping for the entire kit)

[Robert763]

You can get little LED lights that clip onto a book and only illuminate the page you're reading.

Tried several, all crap, still wake the missus up. Also the publisher's push to print paperbacks in 'trade paperback' size with elevated prices to match rather than proper pocketable paperback size makes reading them in bed a pain - they're two handed rather than one handed books.

Anyway, I'm more than happy to use a tablet in bed, much better than fiddling with a reading light or led book light. I was just elucidating why I use one for the luddite.

One of the best things I ever did was actually dump all my reading books at the local charity shop. You only read them once, they take up a lot of space, are totally impractical at the best of times, are heavy and don't work in poor light. Plus they are expensive, have huge logistic and environmental costs.

Bought the ass end kindle on a sale day for 39 quid. Books are £1 to £4 a go. You can share them with your family and quite frankly I don't give a shit if you can't keep them. The thing is so much more convenient. It costs me more to get the bus or drive to the nearest bookshop to get one.

People complain about DRM and tablets and lock in and that but at the end of the day I've actually read a stack of books in the last couple of years. Looking at the history, 35 of them on that device.

Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Which I will be slinging in my bag for the train tomorrow. And when that's done I have a couple of Pratchetts lined up. Electrons don't weigh much

Technical and reference books is another thing though. Those cannot be replaced. Yet. So I have a stack of those.

+1 for epaper readers. I've used one since 2007 when I bought  Sony PRS 505 in the USA. Never looked back. The Sony still works but since they dropped their libary I moved to Kindle. My paperwhite is even waterproof so you can read it in the bath if you wish. Dropping a paper book in water is a much bigger problem.
If any one has not actually tried a epaper device I suggest they do. It is completely different from an LCD and much easier on the eyes. Battery life between charges is weeks.
For documents with images or diagrams it still has to be paper or PDF on colour screen though. 

[tggzzz]

To the UK people, if you are in need of fuel for your car, I suggest that you get it sooner rather than later. I have just got back from a late night shopping run because its quieter then, and every bleeding garage I drove by has long queues for fuel and a few in the City of already run out and closed. Tesco in Chelmsford, run out at 1pm and as their filling station is in the store car park near to the exit, they are queueing from the car park entrance only to discover when they reach the pumps that they have no fuel whatsoever left. I have some dashcam footage that I might stick on YT if anyone wants to see it

Now I didn't even know that fucktards were panic buying fuel 

Shooting out to join them 

Edit: got in the car. Tank already full. Winner 

Filled mine yesterday, only because the trip computer was warning me that I only had enough fuel for 20 more miles and that was when my average MPG was reading 54.3mpg. It took 50.5 litres and the tank holds 52 litres, £70.13 that cost. It wasen't all that long ago that would have only cost about £60 

My God, you're getting screwed!
Your £70.13 equates to $A132.12.


50.5 litres of Premium Unleaded costs, at Perth's "average metro price" today costs $A83.58.(£44.36)!
And we whinge & moan!

But, I guess TE is cheaper in "the Old Dart!"

You merely pay for things via different taxes.

When my daughter was about to take herself to Australia for 6 months between school and university, she thought the minimum wage (i.e. what she would get waitressing) was wonderfully high. After being out there for a while she realised that everything she had to buy was correspondingly more expensive.

[Neper]

Gee, where's the rest of the EU (And UK) this fine Saturday morning?

Got up at nine, had a shower, breakfast, a quick look through the e-mail and the online papers. The replacement DMM has been collected by DHL from the dealer yesterday morning and hasn't moved since.

11:25 am local now. Next on the agenda is the weekly house cleaning. Usually done on fridays but my customers thought they had better use for my time.

[Specmaster]

Don't about EU, but certainly according to local news and live map data, UK folk are still queueing to top up  their tanks 

[tautech]

Gee, where's the rest of the EU (And UK) this fine Saturday morning? Decided to sleep in? Perhaps all tuckered out from yesterday's off-topic-fest. But I am looking forward to lots of TEA content today. 

As always I will contribute meaningful content.

My 547 coffee cup is still in that black hole.


Yes, I am a grouchy SOB but this thread is getting too polluted with crap. Save it for Discord.

Your post came in at 8pm .......Saturday morning's long gone ! 

Wedding anniversary while in lockdown so pizza's and beer by ourselves and to top it off it's furking DST @ 3am so lose an hours sleep too which will make Discord hr an hr earlier ! 
9.40pm now so any chance of being in for the chat will need us to head for the scratcher pretty soon and after a couple of stiff Bourbon and dry's it seems like a fine idea. 
Need to remember to poo the bed instead of having a lazy Sunday........

Med, priced up postage for the baby Tek probe so will flick you some mail after finding or maybe making a little box to ship it in.

[med6753]

Med, priced up postage for the baby Tek probe so will flick you some mail after finding or maybe making a little box to ship it in.

Thanks. 

[mnementh]

Gee, where's the rest of the EU (And UK) this fine Saturday morning? Decided to sleep in? Perhaps all tuckered out from yesterday's off-topic-fest. But I am looking forward to lots of TEA content today. 

As always I will contribute meaningful content.

My 547 coffee cup is still in that black hole.


Yes, I am a grouchy SOB but this thread is getting too polluted with crap. Save it for Discord.

What... did you run out of rope again...? 

Here, I got some in special, just for you:   

mnem
You'd just follow us there and piss in our cornflakes. 

[mnementh]

Some more 27 porn:   

Ooooooh... his & hers probulators. Dwagon liiiiike!!!

mnem
 

[mnementh]

This popped up in my feed from one of my other Discords.  Just a nice lazy FPV afternoon out in the middle of nowhere, where the worst you have to worry aboot is accidentally going down in a cow plop. 

mnem
 

[xrunner]

Yes, I am a grouchy SOB but this thread is getting too polluted with crap. Save it for Discord.

 


More progress on the GPSDO display. As you can see I'm using a case that held a previous GPSDO (R.I.P.). Parts in there for initial placement arrangement only. I made an initial front plate for fitment testing in Fusion 360 and it checks out, so I can proceed with the finer details. I also changed to a smaller MAX232 part (instead of the hat I was playing with) so it can be fit to the back plate. As far as the running code goes, it hasn't done anything odd for 48 hours so I deem it "good to go". 

[Robert763]

Don't about EU, but certainly according to local news and live map data, UK folk are still queueing to top up  their tanks 

I just drove past the local Tesco's and they had signs up saying no Diesel. Some queueing out onto the car park exit. Interestingly there were a number of Tesco home delivery vans in the queue. I assume they reserved some diesel for them. Quite right too.

[factory]

Baaaby scope doo dooo do do doo, baby scope doo dooo do do doo

Might go after that one, probably won't bid a crazy amount as they do appear occasionally.
Already noted the mains connector on the back is broken.

David